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At least 433 records · Page 24

Measurements of the Buffeting Loads on the Wing and Horizontal Tail of a 1/4-scale Model of the X-1E Airplane

The buffeting loads acting on the wing and horizontal tail of a 1/4-scale model of the X-1E airplane have been measured in the Langley 16-foot transonic tunnel in the Mach number range from 0.40 to 0.90. When the buffeting loads were reduced to a nondimensional aerodynamic coefficient of buffeting intensity, it was found that the maximum buffeting intensity of the horizontal tail was about twice as large as that of the wing. Comparison of power spectra of buffeting loads acting on the horizontal tail of the airplaneand of the model indicated that the model horizontal tail, which was of conventional force-test-model design, responded in an entirely different mode than did the airplane.This result implied that if quantitative extrapolation of model data to flight conditions were desired a dynamically scaled model of the rearward portion of the fuselage and empennage would be required. A study of the sources of horizontal-tail buffeting of the model indicated that the wing wake contributed a large part of the total buffeting load. At one condition it was found that removal of the wing wake would reduce the buffeting loads on the horizontal tail to about one-third of the original value.

Rainey, A Gerald↗

Preliminary large-eddy simulations of flow around a NACA 4412 airfoil using unstructured grids

Large-eddy simulation (LES) has matured to the point where application to complex flows is desirable. The extension to higher Reynolds numbers leads to an impractical number of grid points with existing structured-grid methods. Furthermore, most real world flows are rather difficult to represent geometrically with structured grids. Unstructured-grid methods offer a release from both of these constraints. However, just as it took many years for structured-grid methods to be well understood and reliable tools for LES, unstructured-grid methods must be carefully studied before we can expect them to attain their full potential. In the past two years, important building blocks have been put into place making possible a careful study of LES on unstructured grids. The first building block was an efficient mesh generator which allowed the placement of points according to smooth variation of physical length scales. This variation of length scales is in all three directions independently, which allows a large reduction in points when compared to structured-grid methods, which can only vary length scales in one direction at a time. The second building block was the development of a dynamic model appropriate for unstructured grids. The principle obstacle was the development of an unstructured-grid filtering operator. In the past year, some of the new filters developed by Jansen have been implemented into a highly parallelized finite element code based on the Galerkin/least-squares finite element method. We have chosen the NACA 4412 airfoil at maximum lift as the first simulation for a variety of reasons. First, it is a problem of significant interest since it would be the first LES of an aircraft component. Second, this flow has been the subject of three experimental studies. The third reason for considering this flow is the variety of flow features which provide an important test of the dynamic model. Only the dynamic model can be expected to perform satisfactorily in this variety of situations: from the laminar regions where it must not modify the flow at all to the turbulent boundary layers and wake where it must represent a wide variety of subgrid-scale structures. The flow configuration we have chosen is that of Wadcock (1987) at Reynolds number based on chord Re(sub c) = u(sub infinity)c/v = 1.64 x 10(exp 6), Mach number M = 0.2, and 12 deg angle of attack.

Jansen, Kenneth↗

Computation of Loads on the McDonnell Douglas Advanced Bearingless Rotor

Computed results from UMARC and DART analyses are compared with the blade bending moments and vibratory hub loads data obtained from a full-scale wind tunnel test of the McDonnell Douglas five-bladed advanced bearingless rotor. The 5 per-rev vibratory hub loads data are corrected using results from a dynamic calibration of the rotor balance. The comparison between UMARC computed blade bending moments at different flight conditions are poor to fair, while DART results are fair to good. Using the free wake module, UMARC adequately computes the 5P vibratory hub loads for this rotor, capturing both magnitude and variations with forward speed. DART employs a uniform inflow wake model and does not adequately compute the 5P vibratory hub loads for this rotor.

Nguyen, Khanh↗

A Numerical Study of Self-Similarity in a Turbulent Plane Wake Using Large-Eddy Simulation

Turbulent wakes are known to develop self-similarly sufficiently far downstream from obstacles that generate them. It has long been assumed that the spreading rate of the wake in the self-similar regime is independent of the details of the body generating the wake, being dependent only on the total drag (or momentum deficit). This assumption seems to be in contradiction with some recent experiments. In this study we attempt to complement these experimental investigations through a numerical study of a time-developing wake. A numerical study has the advantage of eliminating many of the uncontrolled factors present in experiments and allowing precise control of initial conditions. Large-eddy simulations employing the recently developed dynamic localization model are used to extend previous results from direct numerical simulations. The large-eddy simulation results are compared to the direct numerical simulation database, wherever such comparisons are feasible, as a check of the method. Like the experiments, the large-eddy simulations suggest that non-unique self-similar states, characterized by different spreading rates and turbulent statistics, are possible and that they can be maintained for significant time periods. The study also demonstrates the predictive capability of the dynamic localization subgrid model.

Ghosal, Sandip↗

Portable, heterogeneous ensemble workflows at scale using libEnsemble

libEnsemble is a Python-based toolkit for running dynamic ensembles, developed as part of the DOE Exascale Computing Project. The toolkit utilizes a unique generator–simulator–allocator paradigm, where generators produce input for simulators, simulators evaluate those inputs, and allocators decide whether and when a simulator or generator should be called. The generator steers the ensemble based on simulation results. Generators may, for example, apply methods for numerical optimization, machine learning, or statistical calibration. libEnsemble communicates between a manager and workers. Flexibility is provided through multiple manager–worker communication substrates each of which has different benefits. These include Python’s multiprocessing, mpi4py, and TCP. Multisite ensembles are supported using Balsam or Globus Compute. We overview the unique characteristics of libEnsemble as well as current and potential interoperability with other packages in the workflow ecosystem. We highlight libEnsemble’s dynamic resource features: libEnsemble can detect system resources, such as available nodes, cores, and GPUs, and assign these in a portable way. These features allow users to specify the number of processors and GPUs required for each simulation; and resources will be automatically assigned on a wide range of systems, including Frontier, Aurora, and Perlmutter. Such ensembles can include multiple simulation types, some using GPUs and others using only CPUs, sharing nodes for maximum efficiency. We also describe the benefits of libEnsemble’s generator–simulator coupling, which easily exposes to the user the ability to cancel, and portably kill, running simulations based on models that are updated with intermediate simulation output. We demonstrate libEnsemble’s capabilities, scalability, and scientific impact via a Gaussian process surrogate training problem for the longitudinal density profile at the exit of a plasma accelerator stage. In conclusion, the study uses gpCAM for the surrogate model and employs either Wake-T or WarpX simulations, highlighting efficient use of resources that can easily extend to exascale.

Dynamic ensembles↗

Measurements of the Early Development of Trailing Vorticity from a Rotor

The wake behind a two-bladed model rotor in light climb was measured using particle image velocimetry, with particular emphasis on the development of the trailing vortex during the first revolution of the rotor. The distribution of vorticity was distinguished from the slightly elliptical swirl pattern. Peculiar dynamics within the "void" region may explain why the peak vorticity appeared to shift away from the center as the vortex aged, suggesting the onset of instability. The swirl and axial velocities (which reached 44% and 12% of the rotor tip speed, respectively) were found to be asymmetric relative to the vortex center. In particular, the axial flow was composed of two concentrated zones moving in opposite directions. The radial distribution of the circulation rapidly increased in magnitude until reaching a point just beyond the core radius, after which the rate of growth decreased significantly. The core-radius circulation increased slightly with wake age, but the large-radius circulation appeared to remain relatively constant. The radial distributions of swirl velocity and vorticity exhibit self-similar behaviors, especially within the core. The diameter of the vortex core was initially about 10% of the rotor-blade chord, but more than doubled its size after one revolution of the rotor.

McAlister, Kenneth W.↗

Scavenging dynamics on Guam and implications for invasive species management

Deployment of mouse carcasses laced with acetaminophen has become a common management tool to control invasive brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis; BTS) on Guam. Additionally, anticoagulant rodenticides may be used to control invasive rats (Rattus spp.) if their populations increase due to predator release in the wake of BTS eradication. However, there has been little research examining how scavengers on Guam could be incidentally exposed to toxicants by scavenging carcasses of animals that die from these population control strategies. Furthermore, there is a limited understanding of how the proliferation of invasive species on Guam has influenced the composition of the scavenger community. We investigated these topics by examining scavenger consumption of mouse, rat, and BTS carcasses on Guam in both a coastal and upland site during the wet (May–Aug 2016) and dry season (Jan–Apr 2017). We documented carcass consumption by 9 species, which scavenged 48% of carcasses. Interactions between season, habitat, and carcass type influenced probability of scavenging, and appeared to be driven by consumption by the two main scavenger species, BTS and cane toads (Rhinella marina), both of which are invasive on Guam. Baiting programs should consider the potential for toxin exposure to land crabs (Coenobita spp., Birgus latro), native species that scavenged at every combination of carcass type, habitat, and season. Altogether, 60% of scavenging events were attributed to species considered pests that are recent introductions to Guam. Invasive species on Guam are the primary scavengers of small vertebrate carrion, suggesting a substantial role in trophic dynamics that extends beyond predation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Rotor Wake Development During the First Revolution

The wake behind a two-bladed model rotor in light climb was measured using particle image velocimetry, with particular emphasis on the development of the trailing vortex during the first revolution of the rotor. The distribution of vorticity was distinguished from the slightly elliptical swirl pattern. Peculiar dynamics within the void region may explain why the peak vorticity appeared to shift away from the center as the vortex aged, suggesting the onset of instability. The swirl and axial velocities (which reached 44 and 12 percent of the rotor-tip speed, respectively) were found to be asymmetric relative to the vortex center. In particular, the axial flow was composed of two concentrated zones moving in opposite directions. The radial distribution of the circulation rapidly increased in magnitude until reaching a point just beyond the core radius, after which the rate of growth decreased significantly. The core-radius circulation increased slightly with wake age, but the large-radius circulation appeared to remain relatively constant. The radial distributions of swirl velocity and vorticity exhibit self-similar behaviors, especially within the core. The diameter of the vortex core was initially about 10 percent of the rotor-blade chord, but more than doubled its size after one revolution of the rotor. According to vortex models that approximate the measured data, the core-radius circulation was about 79 percent of the large-radius circulation, and the large-radius circulation was about 67 percent of the maximum bound circulation on the rotor blade. On average, about 53 percent of the maximum bound circulation resides within the vortex core during the first revolution of the rotor.

McAlister, Kenneth W.↗

Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulations of the ASPIRE SR01 Supersonic Parachute

High-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have so far only played exploratory and supporting roles in the study and qualification of parachutes for planetary entry. The last few years have seen the maturation of coupled computational methods that are capable of modeling the complex fluid-structure interactions between a parachute canopy and the supersonic flow in the wake of an entry vehicle in flight conditions. One of the primary goals of these methods is to predict the peak opening load experienced by the parachute during inflation. The Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA)team is developing efficient, high-fidelity numerical methods to perform such challenging fluid-structure interaction simulations. A loose coupling approach is used to advance the solutions of a Cartesian ghost cell immersed boundary method CFD solver and a finite element computational structural dynamics (CSD) solver in space and time. The coupled solver is employed to simulate the ASPIRE SR01 flight test, where a build-to-print version of the Mars Science Laboratory parachute was inflated in supersonic conditions in the upper terrestrial atmosphere. The simulations conducted in the current paper predict a peak opening load that is within 10% of that from the flight test. Grid convergence with respect to the volume and structural domains is demonstrated, and less than 1% variation in the peak opening load is predicted between all grid resolutions.

ARMD↗

Instrumentation development and testing of a wind turbine blade for sub-scale wake studies

Wind turbine blade aerodynamics and the resulting wake flow are complex, and wind tunnel testing of these flows can provide critical insight. The data from such tests are also valuable for validation of numerical models. For experiments using sub-scale turbines to be useful, the blade aerodynamics and wakes must exhibit the important features observed in utility-scale turbine flows. In this work, ~1 m blades designed to produce physics relevant to larger scale turbines were manufactured and affixed to an existing turbine. One of the blades was instrumented for blade surface pressure measurements. Time-dependent surface pressure measurements coupled with instantaneous measurements of the inflow with Cobra probes and the wake with particle image velocimetry allowed for characterization of the inflow, blade flow, and near wake. The results demonstrate that the instrumentation was effective in characterizing the blade loading and the flow field. For the one test case discussed in this paper, the measurements of inflow, blade loading, and wake properties facilitate understanding of the wake's behavior.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Vertical Tail Buffeting Alleviation Using Piezoelectric Actuators-Some Results of the Actively Controlled Response of Buffet-Affected Tails (ACROBAT) Program

Buffet is an aeroelastic phenomenon associated with high performance aircraft especially those with twin vertical tails. In particular, for the F/A-18 aircraft at high angles of attack, vortices emanating from wing/fuselage leading edge extensions burst, immersing the vertical tails in their wake. The resulting buffet loads on the vertical tails are a concern from fatigue and inspection points of view. Recently, a 1/6-scale F-18 wind-tunnel model was tested in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center as part of the Actively Controlled Response Of Buffet Affected Tails (ACROBAT) Program to assess the use of active controls in reducing vertical tail buffeting. The starboard vertical tail was equipped with an active rudder and the port vertical tail was equipped with piezoelectric actuators. The tunnel conditions were atmospheric air at Mach 0.10. By using single-input-single-output control laws at gains well below the physical limits of the actuators, the power spectral density of the root strains at the frequency of the first bending mode of the vertical tail was reduced by as much as 60 percent up to angles of attack of 37 degrees. Root mean square (RMS) values of root strain were reduced by as much as 19 percent. The results herein illustrate that buffet alleviation of vertical tails can be accomplished using simple active control of the rudder or piezoelectric actuators. In fact, as demonstrated herein, a fixed gain single input single output control law that commands piezoelectric actuators may be active throughout the high angle-of-attack maneuver without requiring any changes during the maneuver. Future tests are mentioned for accentuating the international interest in this area of research.

Moses, Robert W.↗

Reliability‐based layout optimization in offshore wind energy systems

Abstract Existing methods for optimizing wind array layouts typically use power or cost objectives and rarely consider reliability‐based objectives. Component and system failure rates, however, are dependent on location‐specific wind conditions, are influenced by array layout and wake interactions, and have a direct and significant impact on capital costs, operational costs, and power production. Although wind power plant models exist that calculate wind loads with sufficient resolution to capture component loading dynamics from wind conditions, they are computationally expensive and thus not suitable for research applications requiring many evaluations, particularly optimization. This study describes the development of computationally efficient, reliability‐based layout optimization methods, enabling us to explore the relationship between component reliability and layout optimization. These methods include the surrogate modeling of the planet bearing life based on varying wind conditions simulated in FAST.Farm and the formulation of reliability‐based objectives based on failure cost and power production models. Through demonstration of this method, we explore how wind conditions, objective functions, and capacity density influence reliability‐based layout optimization. Results indicate that considering reliability alongside power production can reduce failure costs associated with replacement costs and downtime while maintaining or improving power production. Our conclusions highlight the opportunity for wind power plant developers to integrate reliability and operational expenditures alongside performance and capital expenditure objectives in plant design and development to improve plant performance and costs.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Coordinated Wind Power Plant and Battery Control for Active Power Services

This article considers joint active power control of wind turbines and battery storage to follow a plant-level power reference signal. The joint control dynamically curtails the energy from a subset of the wind turbines and stores or withdraws energy from the battery to meet the power reference setpoint while accounting for wind plant aerodynamic interactions, such as wake losses. As a use case, we study the performance of the controller in maintaining a constant power output over hourly periods. A wind plant operating in this way would rely much less on other grid resources to meet its contractual agreements, thereby improving grid reliability, especially in grids with high penetration of wind and solar generation. We compare the operation of the wind plant under joint active power control to standard power-maximizing control with battery support. We present an analysis of the performance of the control system architecture. To study the impact of the battery size on performance, we simulate a 50-MW wind plant supported by batteries ranging from 8 to 64?MWh. We then evaluate the over and undergeneration penalties incurred by the plant during the simulation period.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

On possibility of low-emittance high-energy muon source based on plasma wakefield acceleration

We report plasma wakefield acceleration (PWA) channels are characterized by very high accelerating gradients and very strong focusing fields. We propose to employ these properties for effective production of low emittance high energy muon beams, consider muon beam dynamics in the PWFA cell and analyze various options and potential of the PWA-based muon sources.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Validation of a flight simulation model of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter against flight test data

The FLYRT simulation model of the U.S. Army/McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is validated against flight test data. The approach used for validation involves matching static trim attitudes and control positions and driving the model with measured control time histories to compare dynamic responses such as angular rates and normal acceleration. Flight test data is processed to determine kinematic consistency in the angular degrees of freedom. Modeling problems associated with aerodynamic interaction of the main rotor wake on the horizontal stabilator and engine response timing are identified. Appropriate model updates are made which result in good overall model correlation throughout the flight regime investigated.

Harding, J. W.↗

Drogue Parachute Effects on the Orion Crew Module Stability

A forced oscillation test of the Orion Crew Module (CM) was conducted in the Langley 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel. The objective of the test was to quantify the rate damping characteristics of the CM-drogue chute system. Numerous configurations were tested to measure the influence of the chutes on the CM dynamic aerodynamics and, conversely, the influence of the CM on drogue performance. Results show that the CM-drogue system is well-damped at all combinations of frequency, amplitude, and Strouhal number. The wake of the CM significantly reduces the drogue chute riser line force, and the drogues have little upstream influence on the CM aerodynamics. These results are being used to improve simulation model fidelity of CM flight with drogues deployed, which has been identified by the project as key to a successful Orion Critical Design Review.

Aubuchon, Vanessa V.↗

Annual Research Briefs - 1996, Center for Turbulence Research

Partial contents include: (1) Simulation of jet impingement heat transfer with the k-e-V2 model; (2) A new methodology for turbulence modelers using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) database analysis; (3) A particle representation model for the deformation of homogeneous turbulence; (4) Modeling of inhomogeneous compressible turbulence using a two-scale statistical theory; (5) Lewis number effects on partially premixed flames; (6) Conditional moment closure of mixing and reaction in turbulent non-premixed combustion; (7) Dynamic models for LES of turbulent front propagation with a spectral method; (8) Jet noise using large eddy simulation; (9) Towards numerical simulations of trailing-edge aeroacoustics; (10) A model for the onset of vortex breakdown; (11) Compressing an elliptic vortex: transition to turbulence by tumble breakdown; (12) A new method for the adaptive control of vortex-wall interactions; (13) Symmetries in turbulent boundary layer flows; (14) Near-wall models in large eddy simulations of flow behind a backward-facing step; (15) Assessment of the subgrid-scale models at low and high Reynolds numbers; (16) Large-eddy simulations of flow around a NACA 4412 airfoil using unstructured grids; (17) Progress on LES of flow past a circular cylinder; (18) Experimental investigation of flow through an asymmetric plane diffuser; (19) Progress in the large-eddy simulation of an asymmetric plane diffuser; (20) A numerical study of self-similarity in a turbulent plane wake using large-eddy simulation; (21) On the generation of turbulent inflow conditions for boundary layer simulations, and (22) A new class of finite difference schemes.

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS↗

The aerodynamics of bodies in a rarefied ionized gas with applications to spacecraft environmental dynamics

The objectives are to provide a parametric description of the electrostatic interaction of a mesosonic, collisionless plasma with conducting bodies on the order of 1 to 10 Debye lengths in size, and to extend this description to the satellite-ionospheric interaction, where possible. Experimental findings include: the wake of the geometrically complex body appears to be a linear superposition of the wakes of its simple geometric components; and vector ion flux measurements show converging ion streams at the wake axis and direct evidence of ion streams deflected from the wake axis by the positive space charge potential associated with the axial ion peak. The extension to the satellite-ionospheric interaction utilizes qualitative scaling and indicates that similar, but smaller amplitude, wake structures may be expected for small or highly charged bodies. However, for large bodies at small potentials, the structure may be diffused by the thermal ion motion and the dispersion resulting for space charge potentials.

Stone, N. H.↗